Bambu Labs to implement an authorization and authentication protection mechanism

[PeterT]

But do you think this will extend to filament itself? (being confined to Bambu). I thought reading the spool color was just a nice to have for those with multi-color capability.

 

[DavidR8]

But do you think this will extend to filament itself? (being confined to Bambu). I thought reading the spool color was just a nice to have for those with multi-color capability.

Well there are some folks who are postulating that if Bambu wanted to they could prevent the use of non-Bambu filament by way of the rfid tags.
There are a lot of folks who are not very happy.
And another lot of folk who are basically saying don’t upgrade the firmware and you won’t be affected.
My read of the situation is that the former see this as a first step toward a completely closed ecosystem.

 

[Doggggboy]

Well there are some folks who are postulating that if Bambu wanted to they could prevent the use of non-Bambu filament by way of the rfid tags.
There are a lot of folks who are not very happy.
And another lot of folk who are basically saying don’t upgrade the firmware and you won’t be affected.
My read of the situation is that the former see this as a first step toward a completely closed ecosystem.

A not so tiny part of me wonders if this isn't at least partly a response to the anti-Chinese sentiment propagating in the US.
Between trying to force a sale or withdrawal of TIKTOK from the US and a possible ban on DJI drones, other Chinese companies may be being pressured to retaliate. Bambu was started by former DJI engineers.

 

[DavidR8]

A not so tiny part of me wonders if this isn't at least partly a response to the anti-Chinese sentiment propagating in the US.
Between trying to force a sale or withdrawal of TIKTOK from the US and a possible ban on DJI drones, other Chinese companies may be being pressured to retaliate. Bambu was started by former DJI engineers.

That’s true. I hadn’t thought of the DJI connection

 

[PeterT]

I thought I read in news that DJI had a recent coincidental 'software glitch'. Apparently prior do-not-fly zones around certain facilities were no longer showing up as warnings or fence barriers or however that works. Tit-for-Tat. or is that Tit-for-Tock? LOL

 

[TorontoBuilder]

Well there are some folks who are postulating that if Bambu wanted to they could prevent the use of non-Bambu filament by way of the rfid tags.
There are a lot of folks who are not very happy.
And another lot of folk who are basically saying don’t upgrade the firmware and you won’t be affected.
My read of the situation is that the former see this as a first step toward a completely closed ecosystem.

Of course they can, and IMO this is their ultimate intention in the long run, just like a certain inkjet printer manufacturer who uses rfid chips on their ink cartridges. Then they will bury language in fine print of the user agreement that the purchaser agrees to not using filaments other than bambu official filaments under threat of lawsuit and the repossession of their printer

Hell I'd not be surprised if they started saying you're not buying a printer you're merely leasing it, again under threat of repossession if their routine updates find that you used any filaments that did not have rfid chip proving it was authorized product.

The actions described by the reddit user are exactly what legal teams for companies do if they suspect copyright infringement or theft of IP. They reach out to the possible offenders pretending to be interested and excited about the development when they're acting in bad faith to gain information and IP of the third party developers for use in eventual suit against them or to shut out their tech

 

[Doggggboy]

I thought I read in news that DJI had a recent coincidental 'software glitch'. Apparently prior do-not-fly zones around certain facilities were no longer showing up as warnings or fence barriers or however that works. Tit-for-Tat. or is that Tit-for-Tock? LOL

I heard that DJI drones were not allowed at some recent event in the States. Lots of drones but no DJI drones

 

[TorontoBuilder]

A not so tiny part of me wonders if this isn't at least partly a response to the anti-Chinese sentiment propagating in the US.
Between trying to force a sale or withdrawal of TIKTOK from the US and a possible ban on DJI drones, other Chinese companies may be being pressured to retaliate. Bambu was started by former DJI engineers.

every Chinese firm is a defacto agent of the government. So there is that huge risk and potential.

china actually doesn't give two poops for foreign consumers anyway, we're just tools and fools who undermine our own economies buy being foolish mass consumers of mostly garbage products. They've already mostly defeated us because so many products are no longer available elsewhere.

 

[Doggggboy]

Then they will bury language in fine print of the user agreement that the purchaser agrees to not using filaments other than bambu official filaments under threat of lawsuit and the repossession of their printer

Repossession would be a stretch unless the printer was leased or financed. They could probably threaten to brick it if it was ever found to be online again though.

 

[Doggggboy]

every Chinese firm is a defacto agent of the government. So there is that huge risk and potential.

china actually doesn't give two poops for foreign consumers anyway, we're just tools and fools who undermine our own economies buy being foolish mass consumers of mostly garbage products. They've already mostly defeated us because so many products are no longer available elsewhere.

Nothing but good news today, huh?

 

[TorontoBuilder]

Repossession would be a stretch unless the printer was leased or financed. They could probably threaten to brick it if it was ever found to be online again though.

Yes, they'd brick it lawfully based on their agreement rather than take actual possession of it.

The agreement would of course absolve the company of any storage or disposal costs of bricked hardware, and you'd have already agreed to biding arbitration and not able to join any class action suit. I would not be surprised it that clause is already in their agreements.

 

[Susquatch]

Repossession would be a stretch unless the printer was leased or financed. They could probably threaten to brick it if it was ever found to be online again though.

There is an old Lawyers saying "reductio ad adsurdum (Sp)" - reduce it to the ridiculous to understand its essence. I think that's what @TorontoBuilder was essentially doing. It's a good way to look at where this is going and how stupid it is.

Leased software is here. Leased equipment is here.
Planned obsolescence is here.
Right to Repair shouldn't exist. But it does, because the crooks feel like they still own it.

That RFID Stuff is real. My canon laser printer works like crap with non-Canon toner. I removed the ID Chip. It went from working great to working like crap. I think they are deliberately sabotaging their competition.

 

[Doggggboy]

That RFID Stuff is real. My canon laser printer works like crap with non-Canon toner. I removed the ID Chip. It went from working great to working like crap. I think they are deliberately sabotaging their competition.

Of course they are.
Modern companies are just using new techniques to do what 18th century companies did with thugs and bootleg liquor. Only now these companies have direct connections to lawmakers through lobbyists and corrupt officials...wait...that isn't new is it?

 

[TorontoBuilder]

Of course they are.
Modern companies are just using new techniques to do what 18th century companies did with thugs and bootleg liquor. Only now these companies have direct connections to lawmakers through lobbyists and corrupt officials...wait...that isn't new is it?

Sound familiar? HP says it blocks 3rd party ink because such cartridges can infect a computer network...

Except RFID chips shouldn't even be in ink cartridges, and HP putting them in cartridges caused the risk.

They lie of course, they're the modern bootleggers as @Doggggboy says

 

[Darren]

This reminds me of the Juicero failure...